Chapter Fifty Seven

Margaret had convinced herself for years that Thomas Reed was no longer in her life until a single phone call shattered that comforting fiction.

"Where is he?" Margaret questioned firmly.

The man on the other end of the line stopped for a moment.

"We don't know precisely where he is," he said in response. "However, he was seen in Manhattan by someone."

Margaret's hands clenched the edge of her desk.

"After all this time, he chooses to return now?"

The man said to her, "He may not have returned for you."

Margaret was quiet.

She was more terrified by that notion than by anything else.

Thomas was the chief of security for her deceased husband. He was also there when Emily's parents began investigating shady financial dealings involving Carter Holdings.

Emily's parents then died.

After that, Thomas disappeared swiftly.

Margaret had never pressed too hard for answers as to why he vanished. She had put too much effort into protecting herself and establishing her position as Emily's guardian.

She had persuaded herself that she was merely performing what was required.

She had also convinced herself that Emily was too little to understand the reality her parents had left.

And once she had control of Emily's estate, she saw how easily a frightened lady could transform into a powerful one.

At first, she had borrowed money from the trust, promising herself she would return it.

There was another transfer after that.

After that came another.

Over time, the money ceased to be a temporary loan. She had become part of a financial deal with individuals who could ruin her if she exposed them.

Margaret had kept the truth hidden from Emily for years.

Now she was terrified that Thomas would tell everything.

"Go get him," Margaret ordered. "Don't approach him until you know why he's back."

The man agreed.

Margaret opened her desk drawer after hanging up the phone.

Under the photo of Emily's parents lay the ancient paperwork bearing Thomas's name.

She stared at it.

There was a time when she may have admitted the whole thing and damned the consequences. But that time had passed.

Or perhaps she had just convinced herself it had.

She received another phone call.

This time, it was Ryan.

Margaret almost let it go unanswered, but her curiosity won out.

"Ryan, what do you need?" Margaret asked the question.

Ryan replied, "I need to understand something."

"So go ahead and ask your question."

"When I showed you the picture, why did you behave so strangely?"

Margaret closed her eyes.

"Because your questions are beginning to put me out," she replied.

"That answers nothing."

Some recollections are best left alone.

Ryan momentarily fell silent.

"Were Emily's parents involved in something illegal?"

Margaret's heart pounded.

"What makes you believe that?"

"Since you seemed terrified when you saw their picture."

"I was surprised."

"I have known you my whole life, Mother."

"And yet you appear determined to believe the worst about me," Margaret retorted.

Ryan exhaled quickly.

"I want to think there's still something valuable between us."

Margaret couldn't talk for a second.

She loved Ryan so much, that is why she had spent so many years controlling what he believed.

Margaret said, "Then quit messing around with things you don't understand."

Ryan let out a harsh chuckle.

"You appear to be someone attempting to conceal something."

He put down the phone.

And Margaret hung up her phone.

She has tried her best to keep Ryan from finding out the truth.

Now she wondered if she had just been protecting herself all these years.

___

Emily sat beside Sophia in a different area of Manhattan, looking through Ryan's paperwork.

According to the records, money from Emily's personal inheritance trust had passed through businesses linked to Victor Knight. They were still unable to determine who had profited the most from each trade.

"We need the original documents before we can establish where the money went," Sophia stated as she turned over a new page.

"And Ryan believes they are in his previous office,” Emily said as she kept her head down.

"Then we have to determine whether or not he can reach them."

Emily glanced at the picture of her folks.

"What about the man with them?"

Sophia glanced at the picture.

"Until we have a name, we won't be able to comprehend his link to them."

Emily's fingers touched the edge of the photograph with her fingers.

Many years had passed since both of her parents had passed away. She had previously thought she comprehended the details of their deaths throughout the majority of her existence.

Even the recollections of them now seemed to have locked doors.

Her phone began to buzz.

It was Damian.

She paused before answering the phone.

"Emily greeted Damian.

Damian responded, "I wished to hear your voice."

She looked at the papers.

"Is that all?"

Damian acknowledged, "No."

Emily remained silent, waiting.

"I've been thinking about what transpired between us," Damian remarked.

Emily answered, "So have I."

"I want you to know I'm not leaving."

"Then don't make me feel as if you're already gone."

Damian fell silent.

He intended to inform her that since cared for her deeply, that is why his doubt terrified him.

Emily wanted him to assure her that his doubt would no longer turn into accusations.

They both remained silent about their actual thoughts.

Damian said, "I want to meet you."

"Come see me, then," Emily said.

"I shall."

Emily sat in silence after the phone call concluded.

She hoped that love may survive doubt.

She was, however, beginning to understand that love alone could not replace trust.

___

There was a knock on the study door at Margaret's place.

She quickly placed the outdated document into her drawer.

"Come in," said Margaret.

A housekeeper came in with an envelope.

"This was sent for you," the housekeeper said.

As Margaret accepted the letter, she saw that there was no return address.

She checked inside and saw that it only contained one sheet of paper.

The words were read by her just once.

I know of what happened on the evening Emily's parents died.

Margaret's face went pale as a name showed below the statement.

Thomas Reed.

Margaret realized that for the first time in years, no one was requesting her to maintain a secret.

But instead, somebody was getting ready to reveal it.